This invention relates to electrical connectors, and particularly to connectors adapted for making temporary connections to cables having an outer insulator and an inner conductor.
Various connectors have long been available for making solderless connections between insulated wires. They generally include three main parts: a base, one or more contacts, and a cover. The base is typically an insulating piece having tunnels, channels, or slots into which the wires to be interconnected are inserted. The cover, also an insulator, may be arranged to substantially enclose the base, or may simply hold the wires fast against the contacts, without functioning as a total cover. Each contact is typically a grooved metal knife-like plate supported by either the base or the cover, transverse to the cable. Closing the cover forces the contact's sharp edge against the cable, and in so doing, cuts through the insulation to make electrical contact with the conductor. This knife action contact has the disadvantages of requiring substantial force to make the requisite electrical connection, and resulting in excessive damage to the insulation. Excessive damage results in additional exposure of the wire conductor, thus giving rise to oxidation of the conductive metal if the connector is removed. Primarily for that reason, most of the prior art connectors involving knife-like contacts are for permanent solderless connections, rather than connection intended as temporary on a cable intended to be repeatedly used and reconnected. The damage that results to the insulation is not of material significance in the case of permanent connections since the wires are typically not re-exposed for different use.
For making temporary electrical connections, a connector should be capable of being used without undue difficulty, should provide a quick and reliable electrical connection, and should not result in undue damage to the insulation on the cable. Connectors of this type also have the insulating base and cover, and one or more contact pieces, but the cover for a temporary connector need only provide the pressing action against the base to force the cable into the slots to make contact. It need not completely cover that portion of the base into which the cable is inserted. It is important, however, that a temporary connector does not leave the insulation of the cable so cut and damaged that a substantial portion of the wire conductor is left exposed to dirt, oxidation, and potential grounding. Accordingly, a connector for making temporary solderless connections should not result in excessive damage to insulation of the cables connected.
For certain applications in the field, e.g., transmitting seismic data from shot stations (monitor sites located near seismic shots or disturbances set off typically in conjunction with mineral or geological exploration), it is important that the data transmission cables be easily, quickly, and reliably interconnected, time after time. Since connections must sometimes be made linking the cables together end to end (in-line splice), and other times tapping one cable into the middle of a section of another (tap-line splice), the in-the-field connector should be versatile and multi-functional.
It is apparent that there exists a need for a temporary connector that can be used and reused in the field, and that will provide a quick, strong, and reliable electrical connection that will not result in excessive damage to the cable's insulation. The subject invention provides such a connector.
It is therefore a feature of this invention to provide a temporary electrical connector that may be easily and quickly used to attain a reliable and durable connection which, when disconnected, leaves the cable in usable condition. An underlying feature of the invention is the minimizing of expposed conducting wire and consequently the oxidation thereof. The invention may be interchangeably used and reused, for both in-line and tap-line connections, and provides mechanical support to the cables leading from the connector, to help prevent mechanical failure, and hence electrical failure, due to tensional or torsional stresses applied to the cables.